Läkemedelsrester i avloppsvatten - vad kan läkare göra för att minska halterna?

Sammanfattning: An inevitable consequence of human drug use is that drug remains end up in sewage water. The sewage treatment plants today are not designed to reduce that kind of chemicals which means that many drugs just pass through unchanged or just modified. These remains affect for example animal life such as behavioral changes or feminization of fish in the recipient. The fact that drug residues already have been detected in drinking water may be of concern for humans. This thesis aims to examine how upstream work targeting physicians can reduce the levels of drugs that reach the sewage treatment plants. The aim is to find out what physicians know about the problem with drugs in sewage water and which potential they can see in their role to take environmental considerations when prescribing drugs. This was done through a survey and interviews, and the results show that physicians generally have poor knowledge of the problems. The study seems to indicate that physicians at least are interested and willing to do some changes in the prescribing of drugs if it does not interfere too much with their primary job. The physicians in the study also give some proposals for action. One action is that the environmental aspects of drugs are included in the system for medical records and give a warning when the physicians tries to prescribe a drug when other options are available with less environmental impact. The study also shows that the physicians want more information about the problem, but point out that it is not their job to keep up to date with the environmental problems.